Crisis, What Crisis? Or... The Urge To Live

I rather enjoyed the 'reconstructed' episodes on the DVD release of this story even if it was a bit clumsy and hammy in places.  Lovely to see William Russell and Carole Ann Ford so enthusiastic and, uniquely for this story, still alive!

However, after watching the transmitted version of 'Crisis' there's no doubt in my mind that Donald Wilson's decision to edit them down was the right one.  The murder plot is long and dull and the telephone exchange scenes are just plain annoying.  Plus we're spared the trauma of the poor dead cat!  Wilson's reasoning in his letter seems odd though...

Unless he simply means that they'd have liked to have had more of the miniature scenes and a lot less of the others which is, of course, what he got after the edit.

Crisis

"PUT...US...THROUGH...TO...POLICE!"

The early scene (from the original part three, directed by Mervyn Pinfield) where Ian and Barbara drop down into the enormous sink is superbly done and utterly convincing.  So is the simple but highly effective notepad set...

This episode feels extremely slick and tight, no doubt as the result of being skillfully cut down from the two recorded episodes.  Most of the scenes involve the series' four regulars with the contributions from the guest cast reduced to the bare minimum.  This works for me as the Doctor and co grappling with huge telephones and matches is far more compelling that the murder sub-plot.

"There's nothing like a good fire is there?" says the Doctor, delightedly.

And returning to the superb TARDIS set at the end of the story still gives me a frisson of pleasure and excitement.

Next episode: World's End

(Squee)